Submarine escape apparatus



Aug. 6, 1957 H`. H. HQKE, JR

lSUBMARINE ESCAPE APPARATUS Filed sept. 4, 1951 sheets-sheet 1.

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ATTR N EY H. H. HOKE, JR

SUBMARINE ESCAPE APPARATUS Aug. 6, 1957 Filed Sept. 4, 1951 3Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTDRNEY H. H. HOKE, JR

SUBMARINE ESCAPE APPARATUS Aug. 6, 1957 s sheets-sheet 5 Filed Sept. 4,1951` V -N VEN TOR. m35/59kg@ 54 msuumou aff P INSULATION ATTURN EYUnitedStates Patent O SUBMARINE ESCAPE APPARATUS Harry H. Hoke, Jr.,Capitol Heights, Md.

Application September 4, 1951, Serial No. 244,919

3 Claims. (Cl. 114-16.7)

The object of the invention is to provide means for incorporation insubmarine boats, whether for battle, or for transport, or for merchantservice, so that, in the event of sinking, the crew and all otherpersons aboard may escape with facility; to provide an escape apparatussusceptible of operation by the escapee in the event he be the last toleave the vessel; to provide an escape apparatus in which the escapingoperation consists of a plurality of functions coordinately performed;and to provide, in such an apparatus, a construction of comparativelysimple form and susceptible of cheap manufacture, considering thefunctions to be performed.

With this object in view, the invention consists in a construction andcombination of parts of which a preferred embodiment is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the improved apparatus showingthe trap door in closed position;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the trap door in openposition with the escape cylinder rismg;

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the plane indicated by the line 3-3 ofFigure l;

Figure 4 is a sectional view of the escape cylinder showing the doorelevated;

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of the cylinder door;

Figure 6 is a diametrical sectional view of the upper end of the escapecylinder and door illustrating the adjustable latching means;

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic View of the wiring for coordinating theoperations of the several parts; and

Figure 8 is a view taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 1.

Speciiically, the invention contemplates a cylindrical compartment 10within the equipped vessel, and exteriorly exposed door 11 closing thecylinder at the upper end and made water-tight, when in closed position,by a gasket 12 interposed between the cover and the upper edges of thecylinder. The cylinder opens on an exposed deck 13, a part of theequipped vessel, and the cover is raised and lowered through theinstrumentality of a motor 14 carried by bracket 15 mounted on the wall16. Carried by the motor shaft is a knuckle member 17 which is formedwith bearings right-angularly spaced but lying in parallel planes, sothat one pair of bearings surrounds the motor shaft on opposite side ofa worm 18 thereon and the other pair similarly embraces a worm wheel 19which is secured to a sleeve 20 journaled in the bearings, This sleeveis interiorly threaded and receives an exteriorlv threaded rod 21 whichis pivotally connected with the door 11 at the center between ears 22.The door h-as a hinge mounting 23 consisting of an ear on the door andspaced ears on the deck 13 together with a pin mounted in the latterears and journaled in the door ear. A fixed part of the hinge consistsof a vertical member 24 which serves as a stop for the door when in openor raised` position, as indicated in Figure 2.

Obviously, the motor 14 functions to raise and lower 2,801,605 PatentedAug. 6, 1957.

the door. Upon being energized, it will rotate the sleeve in onedirection and therefore causes the rod 21 to traverse the sleeve, thusraising the door until the latter abuts the stop 24. Rotating in theopposite direction, thereverse direction is communicated to the sleevewith the result that the rod 21 moves in the opposite direction, thuslowering the door. As hereinafter described, means are provided foreiecting the operation of the motor in opposite directions andcontrolling its interval of operation. Since the cylinder obviously mustopen exteriorly to the vessel, the door actuating apparatus isexteriorly exposed.

Normally positioned in the cylinder is the escape drum 25 and this, likethe cylinder or chamber 10, opens lat the upper end and is equipped witha-removable closure or door 26, this door having a hinge connection27with the cylinder and a plural locking or latching mechanism by which itis secured in closed position This latching mechanism consists of latchbars 27 formed with slots 28 which slide as well as rock on the shanksof screws 29 threaded into bosses 30 or the underface of the door. Attheir inner ends, the latch bars are pivotally connected, as indicatedat 31, with the actuating plate 32. which lat-` ter is threadinglyengaged with the stern 33 which carries the lock-nuts 34 above and belowthe actuating plate and engaged with the latter to preclude relativeaxi-al movement of the plate and stem. The stem is terminally equippedwith hand wheels 35 above and below the actuating plate, so that one isinterior to cylinder 25 and the other exterior thereto. This, so thatthe latching members can be actuated from without or within the escapecylinder. To make the latter water-tight when closed, a gasket 36 isinterposed between the door and the upper edge of the cylinder which isinteriorly formed with a peripheral lip under which the free edges ofthe latch bars engage. To insure, however, that such bars will alwayshold the door in tight engagement with the gasket, the peripheralconnections with the actuating plate and the post screws are made fullso that the bars may rock on the latter as fulcrums. From thisconstruction, it is apparent, that a tight engagement of thebars withthe lip may be effected by loosening the lock-nuts 34 and rotating thestem to move the actuating plate down the stem thus rocking the freeends of the bars upward so that they tightly engage the lip. Thensetting the lock-nuts maintains these relative positions, so that thelatching mechanism is always effective to keep the door watertight whenclosed. A stop 38 is provided on the under face of the door againstwhich one of the latch bars may engage when all the latter are inlatching position. This arrangement insures the full eiect of the latchwithout the necessity of having to speculate whether they are onlypartly or fully engaged when the door is closed.

Interiorly the escape cylinder 2S is provided with a spaced series ofspaced rings 40 which serve as steps for the escapee when leaving thecylinder.

To give the cylinder buoyancy as well as to maintain its longitudinalaxis in verticality, it is surrounded by a buoyant belt 41, preferablyof cork and tapering in thickness with the greatest thickness at theupper edge of the cylinder. The cylinder 25 is formed with a conicalbottom as is also the escape drum 10. At its center, there is anchoredto the escape cylinder the terminal of a cable 41 which is reeled on andoff a drum 42, the latter being actuated by a motor 43 through aninterposed reduction gear housed in case 44. The conical bottom of theescape is open at the center to provide clearance space for the movementof the cable, its drum and operating motor being mounted in acompartment 45 together with a pump 46 and the latters actuating motor47, the pump being in communication at one side through the pipe 48 withthe interior of the compartment, and at the other side with the exteriorwater through a pipe 49, this pipe being equipped with a hand valve 50.The pump is designed to function in either direction, in the one casepumping water into the compartment and in the other case, removing ittherefrom.

In the operation of the invention the escape cylinder is designed torise to the surface of the water and in order that the escapee may befree to leave the cylinder without interference from the door, when hehas opened the same, means are provided for holding the door in openposition, these means comprising a sleeve 51 mounted interiorly to thecylinder and slidably receiving a round bar 52 formed with a terminalhook 53. When the door is closed the bar 52 is lowered in the sleeve tobrin-g the hook within the escape cylinder, but when the door of thelatter is raisedr and the hook is elevated, it is rotated an angularldistance of approximately 180 and then lowered to be engaged with theeye 54 on the inner surface ot" the door. When so engaged, the door isobviously held in open position.

Access to the compartment is had through a lateral inlet 55 throughwhich the cylinder is placed into communication with the interior of theequipped vessel. This inlet is provided with a door 56 identical -to thedoor 26 operated from the interior of the compartment 18 and exteriorlythereof.

Since the operating motor will be exposed to water, the kind bestadapted to the purpose is the induction motor and a multi-phase motor ofthe `character is contempla-ted. a three-wire three-phase system beingillustrated. The induction motor of the multi-phase type is not onlyselfstarting but, having a squirrel cage rotor, it is not necessary toinsulate the latter. The eld coils, however, must and can be sealed upagainst the entrance of moisture, so that there will be no diiculty inkeeping them dry.

The motors are energized from a three-phase source, such as athree-phase generator 57 with the main switch 58 connected with theconductors 59, 60 and 61 which carry the three phases. Since, to reversethe direction of a multi-phase motor of this character, it is onlynecessary to interchange the leads of one phase, switches 62, 63 and 64are provided for this purpose. But these are manually operated switchesand sequential operation of the motors is eiected by a co-ordinatingswitch generally indicated at 65, this being mounted on the bottom wallof the lateral access opening 55 and being provided with a crank 66 anda crank 67 of which the latter is accessible from the interior of theescape compartment 10 and the former accessible from the interior of thevessel or exterior to the escape compartment. The cranks 66 and 67 aremerely starting cranks for a single phase nonstarting inductionmotor 68of the character of a clock motor. This motor actuates the shaft 69which drives the wiper contact 70 over the segments 71, 72 and 73, the tcontact 71 'being connected with the motor 47 by the conductor 74, thesegment 72 to the motor 14 by the conductor 7S, and the segment 73 tothe motor 43 by the conductor 76. Mounted upon and driven by the shaft6'9 is a second wiper 77 which traverses the seg ments 78, 79 and 80connected, respectively, with motors 47, 14 and 43 by Ythe conductors81, 82 and 83. When the wipers '77 and 70 lie in the spaces between theadjacent ends of the segments 71 and 73, and 78 and 88, the two legs ofthe three-phase circuit are open and the circuit asa whole is dead. Thatthis may be accomplished, the motor 68 has one terminal connected with asegment 84, as indicated at 85, which is continuous except that asection is removed, so that there may be no contact with the wiper whenthe latter is between the segments 71 and 73. The other terminal of themotor 68 is connected in on the conductor 64) by the conductor 86. Theconductor 61 is connected to the center contact of each of the switches62, 63 and 64 by means of conductors 87, 88 and 89.

In the operation of the invention, assume `that the equipped craft hassunk and that escape becomes necessary. The crew and others will, one byone, enter the escape compartment 18 and then, after removal of theclosure of the escape drum 25, attach the cover thereof, rotating thestem 33 by means of a hand wheel below the cover. Because 0f the stembeing threadingly engaged in the cover, its rotation will effect slightaxial movement so that the latch bars will tirmly engage the lip to holdthe closure in place. Then the pump 46 is set in operation to lill thecompartment with water and to equalize the pressure above and below thedoor 10, when the closure 11 will be raised by its motor 14 and theescape drum permitted to ascend by the unreeling of the cable from itsdrum. These operations, of course, are intended to be accomplished inthis sequence.

Assuming that the phases are so related that when the switches 62, 63and 64 are swung to the right the rotation of the motor 47 will be suchasl -to ll the escape compartment with water, theV motor 14 so rotatingas to elevate the closure 11 and the motor 43 so rotating as to pay outthe cable. Then the coordinating switch is operatedwhich may be done, ifthe escape is being handled by someone within the Submarine, byimparting angular or turning movement to the crank 67. This will resultin giving 4a starting impulse to the shaft 69 which by ap-A propriatereduction gearing (not illustrated), is operatively connected with therotor of `the motor 68. When lthis occurs, the wiper 70 will pass on tothe segment 84 and current will be derived from one phase of the sourceto keep the motor 68 in operation, the circuit of this phasek comprisingthe conductor 6.0 (the switch 58 of course being closed), the conductor86, the motor 68, the conductor 85, the segment 84, the wiper 70, andthe con. ductor 59 which, asV before stated, is connected to the wiper70. But when the wiper 70 passes on to the segment 84, it` also contactsthe segment 71 and the wiper 77 contacts the segment 78. Then all threephases will be operable to set the motor 47 in operation, current to thelatter over three phases being as follows:

First phase: conductor 59, wiper 78, segment 71,` conductor 74, to theleft hand terminal of the motor 47, then back over the center terminalyof said motor, over the conductor 89;

Second phase: the conductor 60, wiper 77, segment 78, conductor 81, tothe left hand terminal of the switch 62 to the right hand terminal ofthe motor 47, then from the center terminal of the motor over theconductor 89 and conductor 61;

The third phase is over the conductors 59 and 60 before described.

When the wiper 77 engages the segment 79 and the wiper 70 engages thesegment 72, the motor 14 is, put in operation, the phases flowing tothis motor as described with respect to the motor 47. When the wipers 77and 70 engage the segments 80 and 73, the motor 43 is set in operation,the phases being lover the conductors as before described.

After passing ott segments 73 and 80, the wiper 77 and 70 rest in deadspaces because the wiper 70 has then entered the dead space in thesegment 84. All motors are then at rest and the reverse of the severaloperations is carried out by shifting the switches 62, 63, and 64 to theleft, when the leads of the one phase are interchanged and thereversible rotation of the motors thus effected. That part of thecoordinating switch consisting of the wiper 77 and segments, 78,` 79 and80 is merely for the purpose of controlling one of the conductors-thatis, opening the circuit on the conductor 60. This so that at least twoconductors will be open as this is necessary to render the whole circuitinert, since otherwise, one phase would be left operative which would besufficient to keep the connected motor in operation.

The invention having been described, what is claimed as new and usefulis:

l. A submarine incorporating an escape apparatus comprising an escapecompartment accessible from the interior of the submarine, a pivotallymounted upwardly swinging closure for said compartment to expose thelatter to exterior water, an exteriorly threaded rod having a pivotalconnection with said closure on its upper face at its center, a motor, aknuckle casting mounted on and relatively rotatable with the motorshaft, a sleeve threadingly engaged with said rod and having a rotarymountingtin said knuckle with its axis at right angles to the motorshaft, a geared connection between the sleeve and the motor shaft, abuoyant escape drum normally housed in said compartment and itselfhaving a releasable closure, the lirst said closure when open releasingthe escape drum for ascension in the water, a motor operativelyconnected with the escape drum to return the latter to the escape compartment after it has risen to the surface and discharged its escapee,and mechanism for controlling the operation of both motors to effectsequential energizing of same.

2. A submarine incorporating an escape apparatus comprising an escapecompartment accessible from the interior of the submarine, a pivotallymounted upwardly swinging closure for said compartment to expose thelatter to exterior Water, an exteriorly threaded rod having a pivotalconnection with said closure on its upper face at its center, a motor, aknuckle casting mounted on and relatively rotatable with the motorshaft, a sleeve threadingly engaged with said rod and having a rotarymounting in said knuckle with its axis at right angles to the motorshaft, a geared connection between the sleeve and the motor shaft, abuoyant escape drum normally housed in said compartment and itselfhaving a releasable closure, the rst said closure when open releasingthe escape drum for ascension in the water, a motor operativelyconnected with the escape drum to return it after ascension to theescape compartment, a pump in the escape compartment, a motor actuatingthe pump, and control means for the several motors to automaticallyeiect their coordinated operations to rst discharge the water from theescape com- 6 partment, then open the closure of the latter, then returnthe escape drum and finally close the escape compartment closure.

3. A submarine incorporating an escape apparatus comprsing an escapecompartment accessible from the interior of the submarine, a releasableclosure constituting the entire top of the said compartment, a motoroperatively connected with said closure for raising and lowering thesame, a buoyant escape drum normally housed in said compartment andhaving itself a releasable closure, ya motor having extensibleconnection with the escape drum to permit the latters ascension to thesurface of the water and its return to the escape compartment, means foradmitting water into and discharging it from the escape compartment, amotor actuating the last said means, a coordinating switch for effectingthe sequential operation of said motors, a releasable closure isolatingthe escape compartment from the interior of the submarine, and aminiature non-starting induction motor manually started to drive saidcoordinating switch, the said induction motor being provided withstarter cranks of which one is accessible to the escape compartment andthe other within the submarine whereby the coordinating switch may beput into operation or stopped by manually applying impelling force or arestraining force to either one of the motor cranks.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,140,469 Lundin May 25, 1915 1,164,038 Varney Dec. 14, 1915 1,283,523Jasper Nov. 5, 1918 1,423,817 Pitz et al July 25, 1922 1,746,547 McKayFeb. 11, 1930 2,341,923 Kotelev et al Feb. 15, 1944 2,583,929 Clark Jan.29, 1952

